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Yes that’s right…Peri Peri Chicken Wings! We all know and love the famous flavours of peri peri chicken from Nando’s but have you ever tried to make it at home? It’s delicious and cheaper!

Now if the weather was a little bit nicer, I would highly recommend cooking the chicken on the barbecue. But its a bit early for barbecue season so you can still make this in the comfort of your own kitchen. All you need is a grill pan and an oven! I blasted the wings on a very hot grill pan first to get that charred effect that gives great flavour and then whack them in the oven to cook through. Here’s how I made the marinade:

Blend together:

1 chopped onion

4 garlic gloves

2 whole chillies (or more/less depending how hot you like them)

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp oregano

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt and pepper

1 tsp oil

1 handful chopped parsley

Now you can adjust this recipe to suit your taste buds and experiment! Leave the skin on the wings and marinate for a few hours or overnight. Then when you are ready to cook, blast them on the grill pan either side and then cook them through in the oven. Serve with wedges and salad and enjoy!

On a lazy bank holiday Monday, why not try and make your own McDonalds breakfast? It’s probably healthier (kind of), cheaper and at least you know what you are eating! I’ll admit, I have had a cheeky McDonalds breakfast before and as tasty as it is, you always feel a bit guilty and sluggish afterwards.

Making your own sausage and egg McMuffin couldn’t be easier and it tastes exactly the same. All you need is english muffins, good quality sausages, eggs and cheese. This is how I made mine.

You can either buy sausage meat or buy normal sausages and push the meat out of the skin. Shape them into thin and wide patties (they shrink when cooking) and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to cook. All you have to do is fry off the sausage patty in a pan with very little oil, turn it over and place slices of cheese on top to melt. I used cheddar cheese but you can use what you like.

Then for the egg, I used a ring to keep the shape of the egg round, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t have one. You could also use a really small egg frying pan. It just makes it easier to eat. Toast your muffin and that is it! Assemble, dollop some ketchup on the side and there you have your own cheeky breakfast. It is delicious and a little bit naughty, but what’s life without a little treat? Go on…you know you want to try it. The shops should be open right now right? 😉

Yes we all love onion bhajis in the UK but how many can we possibly eat? OK we can eat a lot but have you ever been tempted to try something different? These are potato bhajis and are super simple to make. They are incredibly crispy and can be a great snack or starter when you have people over. These are my absolute favourite and is something that your friends and family will just love. Just watch them fly out of the bowl!

Every Gujarati person will have their own recipe for this dish, but this is how I made mine.

I peeled two or three medium potatoes and sliced them as thin as possible. If you have a food processor or a slicer that can do it for you then I highly recommend it, if not a good old knife will do the trick. Just watch your fingers.

In a bowl, mix the following ingredients:

2 heaped tbsp Gram flour (chickpea flour)

1 tsp salt

1tsp turmeric

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp coriander and cumin powder

1 tsp ginger and garlic paste

1/2 tsp green chilli (chopped)

A handful of chopped coriander

I don’t really use measurements so these are just a guide, if you don’t like spicy food then you don’t have to add chilli, just adjust the recipe to your taste. Add enough cold water to make a pancake batter consistency and then add the sliced potatoes and make sure they are all coated evenly.

And that is it. All you have to do now is carefully drop each slice of potato coated in the batter into a deep fat fryer or a pan filled with oil. They will only take a few minutes to cook and will come out nice and crispy!

Take this from me, if you are the one making these then try not to eat them all as soon as they come out of the fryer or you will get a stomach ache. But it was worth it…

Serve with a spicy chutney or ketchup for those who don’t like it too hot. Enjoy!

So you see the word ‘healthy’ before something that is supposed to be a treat, and you automatically think it is going to be horrible right? Wrong! I’ve never tried one of those recipes that replaces every normal ingredient for something exotic and hard to find because I simply can’t be bothered to look for these ingredients. Plus the staff in the supermarkets might think I’m weird if I start asking for agave nectar and egg substitutes.

But I found this recipe for carrot muffins on cookieandkate.com and they are absolutely delicious. Kate uses coconut oil in this recipe instead of butter and sweetens it with maple syrup and the natural sweetness from the carrots and the raisins. It even has yogurt in there!

What I loved about this recipe is that it used ingredients that you are bound to find in most homes. I didn’t have to go searching the aisles for any unusual ingredients and could whip them up really quickly.

It’s also great to give to children (or hungry husbands) and you don’t have to feel too guilty about it. Now I am all for a treat now and again, but I seem to crave it too often so this is a great alternative. Plus they taste really good!

Click on the link above to see the recipe and give them a try. You won’t be disappointed!

Have you ever tried making your own sausage rolls? They are so easy and a lot tastier than some of those ready made ones you find in the supermarkets. Making your own means you can add whatever flavour you want and you know what goes into them. No hidden nasty ingredients!

All you need is some lean pork mince (I bought the kind with very little fat) and some ready rolled puff pastry. Flavour the mince with whatever you have! I added fresh garlic, chopped rosemary and chilli and seasoned it with lots of salt and pepper. But you can add the classic combination of sage and onion, or some smoked paprika or fennel seeds. Get creative!

Cut the pastry into long strips (about 3 inches wide), place the pork mince in a long sausage shape in the middle and brush the edges with a beaten egg. Fold the pastry over the mince and seal with a fork. Brush the pastry with more beaten egg and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. Lastly, cut them into edible sizes and you are ready to bake! Bake at 200 degrees C for about 20 minutes or until golden and crisp.

They are so tasty and much better than those bland supermarket sausage rolls. Great for parties, picnics and more. The only problem is trying to not eat them all! Go on…give it a try. Yum.

Merry Christmas everyone! It’s the best time of the year, a time when you can bake as much as you want and not feel guilty about it. So this year I decided to make gingerbread and oh my gosh they are so delicious and dangerously easy to keep eating.

Now please don’t laugh at my attempt at decorating. I am fully aware that one of my gingerbread men looks like he has had a bit too much sherry. I have no skills in decorating because whatever I make doesn’t seem to last long enough in my house.

I got this recipe from BBC Good Food and it is definitely one that I will keep. The gingerbread is not too sweet and has the right amount of spice. It is also slightly soft and chewy on the inside (if you don’t over bake it) and crisp on the outside, which I love.

They are great fun to make, especially if you have kids. I am a big kid myself so I was quite content making them for myself. So why not give them a go this Christmas?

Get cosy with a nice hot chocolate topped with marshmallows, perfect for dipping your gingerbread man in. All you need now is a classic Christmas movie, some warm socks and someone else to do the dishes. After all, this is the time to relax and treat yourself. But don’t eat too many!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! Thanks for reading and have a lovely holiday!

We all know that blueberries are super healthy for us, but I have to admit I don’t eat them enough. They can be a bit expensive but I do think are worth it. I bought some recently and they are like tiny bullets of sweetness. Delicious!

Of course, the baker in me wanted to cover these blueberries with batter to make muffins or whip up a batch of blueberry pancakes smothered in maple syrup. But there was a tiny voice inside me screaming about how my hips didn’t need it. So I pimped my breakfast instead. Yes I know you are disappointed in me.

Just a handful of blueberries on top of your morning porridge or granola can really give it a lift. I had some homemade granola, topped with blueberries and natural yoghurt. I could have added some honey but didn’t want the sugar content to go through the roof. It was fresh and yummy.

I get bored of eating porridge every day so I am always looking for ways to mix it up. I also like to freeze the blueberries and when you bite into them they certainly wake you up! What do you guys have for breakfast? Let me know!